Stuck Between Lost and Found
by New Decade
Summary: When her life spirals out of control, he is there for her as she was him. No spoilers, but an idea for the future of season 9.
1. Chapter 1

Word on the street is Emily Procter will be missing an episode or two off of CSI: M to take time off to have her baby (congrats for her). But I wonder how they'll cover the absence in the show. I decided to experiment, think of an idea and, of course, throw some E/C love into the mix. This is the outcome. Please review!

* * *

The last three or four days were nothing more than a constant rotation of events. Calleigh would get up, eat breakfast, take a shower, proceed onto work and stay there until her shift ended. She'd come home and sit on her couch, sinking into its pillows and allow her mind to wonder to many painful thoughts, thoughts she had tried to elude for over thirty years, but now there was no escaping them. Thus, tonight, like the previous nights, she sat let her eyes follow the pattern of the carpet as she reminisced about the many painful and emotional scars she had received and why they were there. However, the cause of the scars weren't an importance to her anymore, the only thing that mattered was that the man who had unintentionally left them was dead.

Her mother had called her a few days ago, delivering the blow to Calleigh that Kenwall had died. Had Calleigh not focused all of her willpower on keeping feeling in her body, the phone would have surely slid from her fingers in shock and vigorous grief. Fighting back the tears to stay on the line a little bit longer, Calleigh asked one question.

"How?" she asked her mother, trying to maintain strength in her voice as she talked to her mother. Calleigh felt the need to hold the tears back in her mom's presence, even if it was simply over telephone, she still felt the over whelming need to be strong for the woman on the other end. Her mother sounded like she was on the verge of tears, even though she and her father had been divorced for eighteen years. Calleigh supposed creating a child together and many years of hardships created some bond, even if it wasn't the strongest and weakened more by a hostile divorce, and a bond as such could be remembered and mourned at a time of a death.

"He tried to drive to his house after a few beers," her mother explained, her voice breaking every other syllable.

Calleigh clenched her teeth in anger and sadness, he had made the same mistake he had been making for years, he drank and drove. Calleigh just looked at the table she was standing by and slammed her hand on the table with mild force to exert some aggression after she hung up her phone.

"Damn it, Dad," Calleigh grumbled with a heavy voice, allowing a few tears to escape. She couldn't breakdown now, though, she was working a case of a murdered teenager and had to press on; the limited amount of tears she had shed would have to be enough for a few hours until could return home.

Calleigh had relived that moment many a time in her mind, the final news from her dad. She had always known his fate was held in a bottle, but she hoped that it would never happen and that he wouldn't cause the domino effect that led to his demise. Calleigh loved her father dearly and always wanted to believe he was on the right track getting better after he said he had gone X many months without a drink. But Calleigh had known since her preteen years that it would only be a short space of time before he relapsed and it would have to be something that she was going to have to live with; Calleigh quickly adapted.

Many people saw the negative side of Kenwall and Calleigh had herself found herself, especially in the recent years, find herself looking deeper into the darkest years in which his demon arose. When she thought of him she saw images of his absence during her high school graduation, of his stumbling up the pathways on Friday nights, and him lying out on the couch on Christmas morning, hungover. Now he was gone and Calleigh didn't want those memories anymore, tonight she thought of the good times. The moments were scarce in which she and her dad shared a father-daughter bond, but he was the only real parental figure she had to look up to and she adored him for it, appreciating any opportunity that came along to spend time with him when she was younger. Every horseback ride, every time they went together to fire guns and every time, when she was younger, when she would crawl into his lap and sleep as he whispered "I love you, Lambchop" were memories Calleigh wanted to remember.

The ringing of her doorbell interrupted Calleigh's thoughts. She stood up, wiping away any indication of previous tears that had fallen as she walked towards the door, not bothering to glance out to see who was on the other side. She pulled the door open to a reveal a very concerned, sympathetic, looking Eric. Calleigh attempted to put on a cheerful smile as she had been doing the last few days at PD, she wasn't prepared to accept the comfort and condolences her friends would offer, though she knew they would find out eventually. The only person she had told was Horatio, letting him know she would soon be flying back to Darnell for the funeral and was going to need time off.

But Calleigh had the sinking feeling that she didn't need to put on the mask anymore, based on the look in Eric's eyes, she knew that he had found out.

"Hi," she smiled, weakly.

"Hey," he replied, his voice sad. "Do you mind if I come in?"

"No, not at all," Calleigh shook her head, standing back to let him walk through into her home. Her heart sunk even deeper as she thought about how it hadn't been too long ago they had been practically living together in this house and now they were back to asking permission. "I'm guessing you're here because you heard?"

"Yeah," Eric whispered. "Calleigh, I'm so sorry."

Calleigh rolled her lips and nodded, stirring her eyes away from Eric, knowing that she wouldn't be able to contain herself if she did.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Eric asked, gently.

"I don't know," she sighed with a shrug. "I mean, I told H, but that was pretty much it."

"But the only reason you told him was to ask for time off, not to talk," Eric pointed out.

"Well, you know I've never been good at talking about certain things," Calleigh sighed, daring herself to glance up at him.

Eric nodded, he did know this. Calleigh was a closed book, almost a diary in a human form; full of secrets and almost impossible to unlock. But in the recent years she had been easier to open up, she would even feel comfortable _coming _to him and talking without him having to coax her in the least. However, the numerous obstacles in the recent weeks had tarnished much of that. They talked every now and then, but standing in comparison of how they had been and how they were now could have been the equivalent to nothing. Their communication had basically halted and the result was Calleigh sitting in her living room, mourning her father's sudden death alone.

"And what about now? Do you want to talk about it?" Eric asked, ready to offer his support and comfort.

Calleigh looked at the ground and sighed, shaking her head.

"No," she breathed, her voice getting thick with emotion. "I can't talk about something I can't wrap my head around," Calleigh explained, her voice breaking on the last word and tears springing to her eyes as a result. The droplets of water ran down her face before she had a chance to stop them. She looked at the ground, her hair falling to shield most of her face from Eric as she rushed to erase the evidence of any tears. But her attempts failed and Eric saw the tears, the next thing she knew a pair of familiar arms surrounded her and pulled her into a comforting embrace. Calleigh put her head against Eric's chest and allowed a few more tears to escape, this scene seeming to recreate itself from a few months ago. He had held her while she mourned Patrick Dawson; he let her cry then as he let her cry now.

"It's okay, it's okay," Eric whispered, his hand gently running up and down her spine, he noticed her shoulders were quivering.

"Is it wrong for me to say I knew this is how he would…d-die?" Calleigh choked out, Eric heard the effort it took for her to get the final word out.

"No," Eric reassured her. "You've always been realistic."

Calleigh chuckled, weakly, and nodded.

"Yeah, I guess," she sighed, leaning out of him and wiping the last of the tears away from her cheek. "Would you like to stay for a cup of coffee?" Calleigh asked him, his presence offering its own comfort and she didn't want him to leave.

"I'd love to, but on one condition," Eric insisted.

"Being?" Calleigh questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"You sit down and let me make it, you've had a tough few days," Eric grinned, warmly, and it was enough to make her roll her eyes and take a seat at the dining room table.

Eric smiled at her before making his way into the kitchen. Calleigh watched as he bustled around, opening and closing a cupboard to pull out some mugs. She couldn't help but grin at how he still knew her house as well as his own, mostly due to he had spent a good part of the last year and a half practically leaving there. Well, a few months of the year and a half when their relationship had been close to perfection, the others had been filled with emptiness and torment. The thought of how Eric would soon be leaving and the house would once again turn dismal made Calleigh sigh in sadness.

"Are you okay?" Eric asked as he filled the two mugs up with freshly brewed coffee, his thoughts instantly jumping to her sigh being due to her thinking about her father.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Calleigh lied as Eric added sugar to each of the beverages; he knew how she liked her coffee. "Listen, I really appreciate you coming by like this, I'm feeling better already."

"It's no problem," Eric reassured her. "I'm here for you, you're here for me. That's what we do, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Calleigh agreed. "It is."

"You going home for the funeral?" Eric asked, walking over to her and placing the mug of coffee in front of her.

"Yeah," Calleigh nodded, cupping her hands around warm ceramic mug and letting it heat her cold hands. "My plane leaves Saturday night, the funeral is on Monday and I'll probably be back Wednesday."

"It's not a very long time," Eric commented as he took a seat beside her. Deep down he was pleased he wouldn't have to miss her too long. He had just figured that she would want to spend time with her family during this time due to the tragedy, despite how dysfunctional she had said the family was.

But Calleigh let out a hollow bark of laughter, telling him that his thoughts of her wanting to spend more time with her family was the furthest thing from her mind.

"The shorter the better," Calleigh sighed. "I'm pretty much an outsider to them now…well, more so than I already was. The closest any of us get to communicating is sending out Christmas cards every other year."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Eric whispered, sympathetically.

"It's okay," Calleigh reassured him, taking a sip of her coffee, which lightly burned her throat as it traveled down. "I have my own family here with you, Horatio and everybody. At least I get Christmas cards to you guys _every _year."

Eric chuckled in agreement and at the fact she had just said something only the optimistic side of Calleigh would say, turning something negative into something positive. Though he knew that Calleigh was going to be mourning her father for awhile, her joke reminded him that she was a survivor and, in due time, she would heal.

"Let me drive you," Eric said, abruptly. Calleigh looked up at him, clearly taken aback.

"Drive me?" she asked, confused by his request.

"To the airport," Eric clarified. "Let me see you off."

Calleigh was hesitant yet at the same time intrigued by the idea. On the one hand, the boundary lines they had laid down between their friendship and the romance that had vanished would become more blurred. On the other hand, however, his warmth and comfort would give her the strength she needed to board the plane.

In the end, Calleigh knew what she truly wanted and nodded.

"Okay, if you don't mind," she grinned, sheepishly.

"Of course I don't," Eric promised, reaching over to take her hand and give it a gentle squeeze. His palm was warm and Calleigh held to him, their fingers intertwining. Their eyes met and gravity took control, all logic and reason no longer able to stop them.

The two simultaneously leaned inward and their lips met before they realized what had just happened. Within the instant the outside world vanished and the only thing in existence was the bliss they felt as one set of lips caressed the other.

The sweet taste of Calleigh brought back memories Eric had locked away in the back of his mind, memories that would be too painful to remember without her. But the softness of her lips, the fragrance of her hair and, above all, the subtle force of her lips kissing him back were enough to send an exhilaration through him he had not experienced since the last time he had the privilege of holding her. It was a feeling he would have gladly held onto longer, had the inevitable not taken place and their lips separated.

"That probably wasn't a good idea," Calleigh sighed, shaking her head.

"But it doesn't feel that way," Eric pointed out, reaching up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear, sliding his hand to cradle her face.

"No, it doesn't," Calleigh agreed with a light chuckle.

They leaned out grinned at each other, guiltily. Had he not been overjoyed with having with having kissed her for the first time in months, he would have felt guilty for that kiss complicating things, especially when she was experiencing another emotional turmoil.

"I think I've caused enough trouble for one night," Eric sighed, getting to his feet.

"No, you didn't," Calleigh promised him as she too stood up. "It's not your fault. Eric, my mind is just not in a good place to handle any of…whatever this is right now and I just can't-."

"Calleigh," Eric cut across her. "It's okay, I get it. We'll talk about this once you're feeling up to it."

Calleigh smiled, gratefully, thankful he was being so understanding about the delicate situation.

"I'll see you at work tomorrow," Eric said.

"Yeah, definitely, I'll see you then," Calleigh nodded as she walked him to the door.

The two slightly raised their arms and were about to embrace one another, but as soon as they were in close proximity to wrap their arms around each other, they thought better of it and stepped back.

"Um…m-maybe we shouldn't, n-not right now, anyway," Calleigh stuttered, her attention suddenly being consumed by a loose thread on her shirt.

"Maybe not," Eric agreed with a sigh. "But feel free to call if you need anything," Eric added as he opened the door.

"I will," Calleigh smiled, weakly.

"And, Cal," Eric said, turning back to her as he stepped over the threshold. "I am really sorry about your dad."

The pain that had rested silently in her heart began to throb again at the mention of her father; she rolled her lips and fought for composure for another minute.

"Thank you," she breathed, her voice thick. One of Eric's cheeks pulled up into a sympathetic smile before he continued to his car, Calleigh closing her door behind him as he left, his taste still tingling on her tongue.

* * *

I'm weighing the possibility of a second chapter. Anyone interested?


	2. Chapter 2

Are you freakin' serious? 21 reviews, not to mention the alerts and saves to favorite story! I can't thank you guys enough; it really made me feel good! I'm still in shock (which is great)! Hopefully this chapter will meet expectations.

* * *

Calleigh would be internally grateful to Eric for not bringing up their kiss in their conversations during the days leading up to her departure to Darnell. She supposed he knew that her mind just wasn't ready to deal with the prospect that they probably still had feelings for each other and pressuring her to think of that single romantic moment between the two wouldn't help either of them. With the addition of word having got out about Kenwall's death, many members of the team had been offering their condolences and were constantly asking how she was holding up, she appreciated their concern, but truly just didn't want to have to think about him at work. Needless to say she couldn't handle thinking about the prospect of her and Eric right now.

Thus they continued onward with how their relationship had been before any of this had happened-distant and silent. The only times they would speak on non-case related instances was when they were greeting each other in the morning and saying goodnight before leaving for the night. But their routine was broken the night before Calleigh was due to leave. She sat in the Firearms lab, writing out the names of the open cases she was transferring over to her temporary replacement, nervous about leaving her lab in someone else's care. She remembered the last time she made that move and she was going to do everything in her power to make sure this replacement didn't make the same ridiculous blunders.

Calleigh turned at the sound of someone entering the lab and she felt a smile stretch across her face when she saw it was Eric.

"Hi, I thought you would be heading home by now," Calleigh commented, knowing that his shift, along with the rest of the team's, had ended by now.

"I could say the same thing about you," Eric smiled, walking over to where he was sitting and glancing over her shoulder. "Tying up loose ends?"

Calleigh chuckled. "More like trying to protect my lab from as much harm as I can."

"Don't worry, we'll make sure the new guy will hold down the fort while you're gone," Eric reassured her, fighting the urge to place a hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you," Calleigh said, turning back to her paper, hearing the chair next to her scrape against the floor as Eric sat next to her.

"Listen, what time do you want to head out tomorrow?" Eric asked, bringing up the ride up for the first time since he offered to give her one.

"Well, my plane leaves at eight and I don't want to rush around and everything, so we can leave about…seven-fifteen," Calleigh suggested.

"We've gotta plan," he nodded, his lips curving into his classic half smile and Calleigh couldn't help but smile back.

"I haven't even packed yet," Calleigh admitted, scribbling down another case number on the paper.

Eric almost offered to return with her to her house to assist her with packing, but he held his tongue, knowing he'd be crossing the line he had sworn he wouldn't cross. Within the course of one week they had spoken, kissed and he had offered to give her a ride, it had been more contact than they had had in months and he wasn't about to push his luck by volunteering to come by her house.

"Well, you have a lot on your mind," Eric stated in her defense. "How are you holding up?"

"Better, actually," Calleigh smiled in spite of herself. "Once the shock wears off it's easier to move on, for me at least. But I guess I'll see if that's true or not at the funeral."

"Either way, your going to be fine in the long run," Eric grinned, confidently.

"You think so?" Calleigh asked. "What makes you so certain?"

"I know you," Eric said, simply.

Calleigh a touched smile came to her face. "Thanks, Eric."

"It's what I'm here for," he shrugged.

Calleigh laughed and looked up to meet his eyes, regretting so the moment she did so. She didn't regret looking at him because of the familiar pains she used to endure seeing him after their separation, the complete opposite in fact. She could see her reflection in his warm eyes and his closeness was uplifting and it caused her heart to stop in mid-beat. But the closeness was dangerous for it created the same romantic atmosphere from the other night which had led to their kiss, a repeat of that episode would be something she wouldn't be able to handle with the following days events. Eric seemed to have the same idea for he quickly dropped his glance and stood up.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, I'll see you then," Calleigh nodded with a now forced smile.

"Goodnight," he grinned as he left her alone in Firearms.

"Goodnight, Eric," she whispered to herself, turning back to her work. "Sweet dreams."

* * *

The two were practically silent as they entered the terminal the following morning and checked in Calleigh's baggage, which consisted of only one suitcase, she wasn't going to need much for a few day trip. They had exchanged a few words when he picked her up that morning and mostly made small talk, including making a few comments about the dreary weather. But now that Eric was about to say goodbye to her for a few days he really couldn't think of anything to say as he escorted her through the airport. He knew it was selfish of him not wanting her to go, but the idea of not seeing her, especially since the incident at her house, was enough to drive him to insanity. It had been hard enough to not spend the nights with Calleigh, but he found peace seeing her throughout the day at work, even if the relationship between them was strained. This matter was different, they wouldn't be seeing one another and, worse than that, Calleigh would be hurting and she would be alone, even if she were surrounded by family.

"You've been unusually quiet," Calleigh commented as they made their way towards Security, where they'd have to go their separate ways. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he reassured her, stepping aside to let her step first on the escalator. She dipped her head gratefully and took a step on the moving stair. "Just worried about you, that's all."

Calleigh rolled her eyes at his concern. "Will you ever stop worrying about me?"

"Yes…well, probably not," Eric amended, stepping behind her.

Calleigh laughed lightly at his comment as the escalator elevated them towards their destination.

"Why do you worry about me so much?" she asked.

Eric filed through his brain to find an answer that would answer her question honestly yet not make the situation awkward for either of them, instead he chose to say something truthful yet comical.

"You're my girl," he quoted one of lines from _Forrest Gump_ in a poor attempt of a Southern accent.

Calleigh couldn't resist laughing, more joyful this time, as they stepped off the escalator before she turned to smile at Eric.

"I'll always be your girl," Calleigh replied, not having to force the accent, while the line leading up to Security came into view and the sign reading for all those without a plane ticket to stop at a certain point. The two stopped at the sign, Calleigh sighing sadly at the knowledge this was the first step to returning to the home she had never looked back to, but to which she was now returning to bury her father.

"I'll call you when I land," she promised.

"Okay, um…do you want me to pick you up on Wednesday?" he asked.

"That's sweet, but my flight won't be getting in until late and-."

"I don't mind," he insisted.

Calleigh smiled gratefully up at him. "Okay, thanks…I'd best be going," Calleigh sighed, nodding towards the line. "The sooner I leave, the sooner I can get back."

Eric nodded, though he was certain the wait for her return would be lengthy no matter how quickly she left. They wrapped their arms around one another in a friendly embrace, Calleigh wishing she could carry the same warmth and comfort Eric provided now to Louisiana with her; it would certainly make the trip more bearable.

"I'll be seeing you," Calleigh sighed as she leaned out of Eric.

"Yeah," Eric nodded. "Have a safe flight."

"Thanks," she smiled as she took a few steps backwards passed the point he wasn't allowed to cross before turning around to wait in line, breaking eye contact with him entirely.

But Eric continued to watch as Calleigh moved further up in the line, the middle-aged man at the podium checking her flight information and passport before letting her proceed onward. She removed everything from her person she was instructed to before stepping through the security screening as the box containing her objects went through their own scan. She was given the clear and was able to slide her shoes back onto her feet and retrieve the items before she turned back to Eric.

Even from the distance between them, Eric could still see the glistening in Calleigh's eyes that held sadness and uncertainty. But he could also see the same breathtaking smile she always wore, even when things became a living hell, spread across her face as she raised a hand to wave goodbye. Eric waved back, hoping that the next time he saw her that the smile would remain, but the pain visible in her eyes would have eased, if not vanished all together.

* * *

The Duquesne family stood around the burial plot as Kenwall's coffin was lowered into the ground. The burial followed a service up at the church in which his closest friends and family members said a few words. Calleigh had been able to get herself up in front of the group of people she had not seen in years and give a speech in her father's memory, everyone whispering as she stepped up to the podium. Ever since she had arrived all she had been getting was murmurs and sideways glances following her. She didn't need to ask to know what they were talking about; Kenwall's daughter finally returns home after leaving Darnell years ago and never looking back. Only now that they were saying goodbye to Kenwall once and for all did the whispers stop and the glances stop, it would be difficult to look at Calleigh subtly when she was standing behind them.

The Duquesnes stood in what appeared to be mostly individual groups more than a whole family in mourning. Calleigh was surprised to here a few minor sniffles and a sob that broke out every few moments, none of which came from her. She was trying to hold any signs of emotion in as the crate that held the man that gave her life finally settled in the ground. Her chest was absent of sobs and her eyes empty of any tears, that was until her father's coffin disappeared from her view. Suddenly, the harsh impact of the truth was set in stone; her father was gone and she would never see him again in her mortal life, the realization was enough for her emotion to try to break through.

Calleigh closed her eyes to try to contain herself, but it was becoming a struggle. Her eyes didn't open to the feel of an arm wrapping itself around her waist, gently pulling her into him. Calleigh didn't need to open her eyes to know who it was, she knew the warmth that surrounded her, she knew who would fly to Louisiana to comfort her and, to be honest, she wasn't all that surprised that he was here.

Calleigh rested her head against Eric's shoulder and let the tears she was holding back fall. She opened her eyes in time to see the preacher throw the first handful of dirt onto Kenwall's coffin after it had been completely lowered into the ground. The crowd stayed for a final prayer and moment of silence before they slowly dwindled away, one group leaving at a time, too caught up in their own worlds to notice the new addition standing beside Calleigh.

But even after the final person left, Eric and Calleigh remained. They had yet to speak, Eric not saying anything as he gave Calleigh her moment to silently say her final goodbyes to her father. Only now that the people she felt furthest away from were gone and the man she felt closest to was beside her was she truly able to say farewell to her dad. Calleigh gently pulled herself away from Eric to step toward the headstone. She knelt down and reached up to trace the letters of his name on the headstone along with the words "beloved father."

"I love you, Dad," she whispered, her eyes filling with tears again and her throat tightening. She felt Eric's hands gently wrap around her upper arms, she looked up at him as she slowly stood up, resting her head against his chest and hugging his waist.

"Why am I not surprised to see you?" Calleigh chuckled through her tears.

"Because I told you I'd always be here," Eric whispered, holding to her tightly.

He had said that many times and had proven it true many times more, yet only now that he was standing with her by her father's grave, comforting her even though there wasn't any romantic relationship between them, did she truly believe him.

Eric felt her shoulders quivering slightly as he held her, his hand running up and down her spine. He felt her arms around his waist tighten and her face bury deeper into his tuxedoed chest, almost as though she didn't want to let him go and was going to prevent it by any means necessary. He heard her take a shuddering breath and the sobs lessened, then he heard her whisper three words that almost made his heart stop.

"I love you," she whispered.

The words had come completely out of left field to such an extend he was barely able to comprehend what she had said. Joy and shock filled him as well did a feeling of question, Calleigh wasn't normally one to be so direct with her feelings and it caused him to wonder if what he heard was true or if it rather a figment of his imagination. Thus, instead of saying what was in his heart, he asked the question that came to his brain, the more rational side, first.

"What?"

"I love you," she repeated, leaning out to look at him. He looked at her with a small grin on his face, but she knew that behind that mask was confusion. Calleigh couldn't blame him and she snaked her arm through his and began to lead him away from her father's grave and towards her rental car.

"Calleigh, I-." Eric began.

"I know what you must be thinking. You're thinking that I'm traumatized by my dad's death and that I'm looking for comfort," Calleigh sighed, giving her explanation in almost therapist-like terms. "But that's not the case."

"So what is the case?" Eric asked, curiously.

Calleigh rolled her lips and took a deep breath. "When Jesse died we were all traumatized, we tried to look for comfort but I didn't feel as though I could with you because of…"

"Because you were still having problems with me because of the A.S.A situation," Eric finished for her.

Calleigh nodded as they came to the gate of the cemetery. "We didn't know how to deal with it because everything was changing so fast and it made the concept of you and me difficult. We may have decided separating was for the best, but it never fully worked for me. I tried to act like it was, but then this happens and, despite everything that happened in the past, you were there for me."

"You'd do the same for me," Eric pointed out.

"Exactly," Calleigh nodded. "I would because my feelings haven't changed and I doubt they ever will…was that really as cheesy as I think it sounded?"

Eric chuckled and shook his head.

"Not at all," Eric grinned. "And Calleigh?"

"Yeah?" Calleigh asked as they walked out of the cemetery.

"I love you, too."

Calleigh smiled and wrapped her arms around him once again, feeling genuine joy for the first time in what felt like years.

* * *

They sat on the plane Wednesday afternoon after checking out of their motel and turning in the rental car. Calleigh leaned back in her chair, tightening her seatbelt as the plane began to make its way down the runway. Through the window the white lines on the asphalt became blurred as they gradually gained speed. The plane eventually was able to gain enough speed to part from the ground, the wheels tucked inside and the world below slowly faded away. Calleigh paid no attention to the buildings as they appeared to shrink in size while the plane rose, she was more focused on the man sitting beside her.

While most of the passengers were lost in the movie the airline was showing, one of the newer comedies that had no plot and could have possibly been directed by a drunken teenager in high school, Eric and Calleigh were lost in one another. Their feelings for one another were still complicated and their relationship was no doubt going to have to take steps to perfect, but at the end of the day they were there for each other and they loved each other; those would be two factors that would never change despite any status of their relationship.

"What happens now?" Eric asked her.

"I guess we're going to give this our best shot and hope for the best," Calleigh shrugged. "I mean we did it once, we can do it again and-." A lump of emotion arose in Calleigh's throat and it broke off her sentence.

"And?" Eric gently coaxed her to continue. She looked at her lap and rolled her lips, searching for the right words to describe how she felt.

"I don't want to lose anyone else, Eric," Calleigh whispered. "I don't want to have regrets about anything. I was mad at my dad for _years _and I hardly talked to him since he moved due to it, now he's gone. I don't want to make the same mistake twice, Eric."

"What are saying?" Eric asked, knowing she was getting at something.

Calleigh rested her hand over Eric's, squeezing it gently.

"Will you move back in with me, Eric?" she whispered.

He chuckled and turned his hand over to hold hers.

"I thought you'd never ask," he smiled.

Calleigh laughed, lightly, and rested her head against Eric's shoulder as he placed his cheek against the top of her head; they were going home.

"_Almost dying changes nothing…dying changes everything."_

_-Hugh Laurie (Gregory House)_


End file.
